


Snowbaz Youtube AU

by fallenpetals



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Carry On: The Rise And Fall Of Simon Snow - Fandom, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Multi, No Magic AU, Youtube AU, Youtuber AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-07-04 02:56:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15832338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenpetals/pseuds/fallenpetals
Summary: Simon and Baz are popular YouTubers with a rivalry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for checking out my fanfic. This work is a repost of this series from my Tumblr, lifegoeson-wecarryon. Visit me over there for more chapters of this fic and a couple one-shots.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FangsAndFlames has his weekly live stream.

[ Baz ]  
I pull out my laptop and set it in my lap, turning it on.  
It’s 4:15 pm, I normally start streaming at 4:30. I have some time, and my computer is fast.  
When the screen shows my desktop, I click the Firefox Icon. (Google Chrome is for idiots. Like Simon Snow.)  
I immediately go to YouTube. I have ten or so minutes, might as well look for something to watch.  
I click on my recommended videos list.

The first one is a new video by my sworn rival (Internet-wise, at least), WingedMage. Simon Snow.  
He’s done another cover, how typical.  
It’s a love song. Terrific. I’ve heard it before, Fiona showed me the original video. It’s a song called Somewhere Out There. From some Disney movie, I believe.  
I click on the video.  
He does his stupid introduction, before starting to strum his guitar. Honestly, he should just stick with gaming. He’s a terrible singer.  
Alright, that’s a lie. He’s actually pretty decent.

He’s gotten a lot better than he was in his first singing video. I’m cringing just thinking about it.  
He’s halfway through the song when I realize my cheeks are getting red, and there’s a lump in my stomach.  
What am I doing? I don’t even know this guy, aside from the rivalry.

We’re aware of each other, that’s for sure. And we don’t go three videos without making some sarcastic remark about each other's channels.  
We’ve never even had an actual, honest conversation.  
A while ago I made a roast video about him, and he made one firing back.  
Back and forth comments on our social media. Snide remarks in our videos. Calling each other out on stupid things.  
It’s all become a fun little game.  
He lets the last few notes ring out before it cuts to his outro.  
“Thanks for watching this cover! I worked really hard on it, and would appreciate a like! Please follow me on social media if you haven’t. But don’t follow or subscribe to FangsandFlames. He’s terrible and probably can’t even tie his own shoes. Again, thanks for watching! See all of you later!”

Christ, Snow. That was uncalled for.

Despite our rivalry, our mutual fans have a… different idea of our relationship.  
One day I was browsing Tumblr and came across a phenomenon known as “Snowbaz”, which is for some reason wildly popular.  
We don’t even know each other personally.  
However, there is some truth to it. I hope to God that Snow never realizes it.  
My stomach churns again. I hate it.  
It’s all just a game between us.  
I glance at the clock and see that it’s 4:27. Time to set up the stream.  
I have no idea what I want to play. Perhaps, I’ll ask for suggestions. Or I’ll just do another play-through of Welcome To The Game. That’s always fun.

It’s three minutes past my usual time when I start streaming, but no one is really bothered. They do question me, however.

pixiestix: what took you so loooong  
buckleuptom: You’re three minutes late.

“That idiot Snow uploaded a new video,” I say, looking at the screen. I have my face cam on so everyone can see me roll my eyes. “A cover, and he doesn’t even look at the camera half of the time.”

pennyforyourthoughts: I thought that video was nice.

I scoff. I know exactly who this is. Took me a while to guess, though.  
Penelope Bunce. Also known as, the girl who shares Simon Snow’s channel and does the editing.  
I click on the chat.

fangsandflames: of course you think that, you edited it  
pennyforyourthoughts: shut up and play a game or whatever. i’m bored.  
pixiestix: yeah!!! play something happy and silly baz!!!  
buckleuptom: that’s not really his style, we all know he’s more into horror and suspense games.  
buckleuptom: something dark.  
pixiestix: I know but still!!

I laugh. “Just for you Trixie, I’ll find something that’s less dark than what I normally play.”

pixiestix: eeeeeee!  
buckleuptom: Christ. Trixie, do you ever calm down?  
pixiestix: shut UP gareth.

I don’t really know these twos relationship, but they’re huge fans of mine. Neither of them misses a stream. And they tend to watch my videos the second they come out, which is borderline creepy, but it’s whatever.  
I smirk when the perfect game comes to mind.  
She wants something Happy, right?  
I type in Happy Wheels into the search bar.

pixiestix: omg  
pennyforyourthoughts: Simon did a happy wheels video a few days ago

I groan. Leave it to her to make it all about Simon.  
I don’t really mind, actually. But I have to pretend that I do.

fangsandflames: I’m much more entertaining than snow, penelope  
pennyforyourthoughts: keep telling yourself that, basilton

I have no idea how she found out that it’s Basilton, not Baz. She always uses it because she knows it pisses me off.  
Rolling my eyes, I go back to Happy Wheels.

It’s really just 45 minutes of me dicking around, killing my character in the dumbest way possible. When my roommate, Niall, gets back from work, I give him a turn.  
I normally stream for roughly an hour. When 5:34 rolls around, I start to sign off. I take one last look at the chat before I go when one message catches my eye.

pennyforyourthoughts: Say Baz, would you like to live stream with me and Simon sometime?

I cock my eyebrow in response.

pennyforyourthoughts: you don’t have to, it’s simply an idea i thought i would share  
pennyforyourthoughts: perhaps you could, as you say, “roast” simon more directly  
pixiestix: omg do it baz!!!!! i bet it’ll be hilarious!!!!!  
buckleuptom: don’t they hate each other though  
pixiestix: shush!

I sigh, glancing over at Niall (who is currently sitting far enough so he isn’t shown in the cam) as if he could tell me how I should respond.  
“Don’t look at me, it’s your call dude.” He tells me.  
I let out a sigh. “I’ll think about it.” I manage, before ending the stream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collab stream between two YouTubers.

[ Penelope ]   
Simon has been bothering me for weeks, asking if I could get Baz to stream with us. I have no idea why he couldn’t have just asked himself.  
Sure, they have that playful rivalry going on. It’s kind of cute, actually. Like middle school flirting.  
But we both know it’s a joke. Even if Simon will never admit it.  
Honestly, off-camera, Simon talks about Baz like they were dating.  
I sigh, pushing my laptop away from me as he walks in.  
“Did you ask him?”  
I chuckle. He didn’t say hello first, he asks me if I asked his schoolgirl crush to stream with us.  
“Yes, Simon. I asked him.”  
His eyes light up. “What did he say?”   
“He’s going to think abo-” I stop talking when I hear a ping. Pulling my laptop back towards me, I see that someone wants to talk to me on one of my many social media.  
“Is that Baz?” Simon asks almost immediately.  
“Shut up and let me check.” I roll my eyes, before clicking on the notification.  
Sure enough, it was.

fangsandflames requested to chat with you  
chat request accepted  
pennyforyourthoughts: Hello, Basilton.  
fangsandflames: I told you not to call me that.  
pennyforyourthoughts: Did you think about live streaming with us?

I can feel Simon staring at the screen. “Relax, Simon.”  
“I caaaan’t! What if he says no?”  
“Then he says no.” I smile. “It’d be for the best, actually. You’ve never been that good at talking to people.”  
“Shut up, I’ve gotten better.”  
“And your little schoolgirl crush will realize that, I presume?” I turn to look at Simon’s reaction, and his face is a bright red.   
“I- I told you! I don’t- don’t like him like that- he responded! What did he say?”  
I roll my eyes, turning back to the screen.

fangsandflames: The answer is no, but perhaps you could convince me.

I could hear Simon deflate when I read the message out loud. “Simon, have you forgotten my ability to convince people to do anything?” I make a show of cracking my knuckles, before going back to my keyboard. That seems to ease his nerves.

It takes a while, but eventually, I convince him. I close my laptop proudly, before turning to Simon.  
“Did you do it? Did he say yes?”  
I smile slightly. “Tuesday at five.”  
Simon literally jumps out of his chair and falls onto the ground, and I can’t help but start laughing.  
“Not funny! I got excited! Okay!”  
I smile as I kneel down to help him up. “It’s still funny.” He gives me his famous pout, and I roll my eyes. He knows it doesn’t work on me.  
“You’re mean.” He says, once he’s standing again and after he’s dusted his pants off. (Why do people do that when there’s no dust around?)  
My smile brightens. “Come on Simon, let’s play 60 Seconds again. You still need to beat that challenge, don’t you?”  
His eyes light up, and I laugh.  
“We’re recording, right?”  
“When do we play without recording?”

[ Simon ]   
Penny and I decided to do another Q and A stream while we waited for Baz to get online.  
This was how it was gonna work: Baz will text Penny when he’s ready and she will call him on Skype. She knows all the computer stuff, so she said to not really worry.  
I’m so excited!   
I can’t let that show, though. I have to keep up the “I hate Baz Pitch” act.   
I don’t even know why I’m excited.   
Although, I think our fans figured it out, according to some fan arts….

People keep saying I’m in love with him or he’s in love with me, and that’s why we act like this.  
I think we’re just doing it for fun.  
…Right?

Sometimes I regret the things I tell him. Sometimes I think I’m being too mean.  
But he doesn’t seem to take it seriously, so I don’t think about it too much.  
I don’t really like to think about anything.

I look at the chat, deciding to go back to the questions.

highnotesonswings: Simon, what do you look for in a guy or girl or really anyone? In a romantic sense? Like, what’s your type?

I roll my eyes. I get asked this a lot, but I don’t really mind.  
“Well-” I start, but notice another message.

pixiestix: is your type guys with tan skin and black hair that are really angsty on the outside but actually care a lot???

Penny snickers, and I smile slightly.   
Pixiestix is our resident Snowbaz fangirl.

A while ago, Penny showed me the Snowbaz tag on Tumblr. Pixiestix- or rather, her Tumblr, trixiesforkids, is a popular fan artist for the ship. I think her style is cute.  
I’d be lying if I said looking at her pictures didn’t make me blush. Of course, I would never admit it.  
Instead, I roll my eyes. “Trixie, I’ve told you I don’t like Baz.”  
Penny gives me a knowing look, before pointing at the chat.   
It’s Baz.

fangsandflames: Of course you don’t, Snow. I’d have no idea what to do if you did.   
fangsandflames: I’d probably push you down the stairs, but you’d fall down regardless because of your two left feet.

I sigh, looking away to hide my smile.  
I don’t know why I smile when I see a message from him. It’s confusing.

fangsandflames: I’ll be on in a minute.

I stand up and walk away from the camera, before letting my smile overtake my face. Penny’s laughing.

She gets the call set up, and Baz’s face is on screen. She sent him the code to join our game.  
“Did Snow run off? Christ, do I scare him that much?” I hear his smooth voice, and I feel my face light up like a traffic light.  
“I’m here!!” I quickly run back to the computer. “I’m- I’m here. Hey, B-Baz.” Shit, I’m nervous.  
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You look like you just ran a mile. Are you alright?” I hear the concern in his voice, which surprises me, but then he clears his throat. “Considering you’re more built for eating than running.”  
Ah. Should’ve known he would turn it into an insult. Why did I want to stream with him again?  
“You don’t look much better.”  
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Snow.”

The chat is quickly filling up with Snowbaz shippers. My phone keeps buzzing, and I look at it.  
“You people are sharing this already?” I comment.  
“Come on you two, let’s get to the game. This is a fun one, a competition type game, it’ll suit you both.” Penny seems to be smirking. I see Baz shrug.

Penelope wasn’t kidding. Baz and I seem to be really getting into it.  
Penny’s logged in to her laptop, so she’s playing too, but she’s nowhere near as interested in winning as me and Baz.  
The whole stream is basically the two of us trading insults.  
The fans love it.

After a while, I glance at the clock. It’s been three hours. This is the longest stream I’ve ever done! And people are still watching!  
“Jesus…” I can’t help but comment on this. “Three hours. We should probably stop soon.”  
“Three hours? I’m surprised at you, Snow. You actually understand the concept of time.”  
I growl at him. Penny’s laughing again. “Shut up, Baz.”  
“I’d say make me, but that’s not possible at the moment. We’re nowhere near each other.”  
My face goes red, and the shippers go wild again.

I calm down when I realize that he’s just fueling them.  
Probably.  
More likely than not.  
“Whatever, Baz. Like I would want to kiss you.”  
“Who wouldn’t want to kiss me?”  
God. He’s always so full of himself.

“Simon, we have to go to Agatha’s party.”  
Agatha is my ex, but we still hang out with her. She has a YouTube too, not as popular as mine or Baz’s. A makeup one, I think. She’s more popular on Instagram, though. And she throws a lot of parties.  
“Right!” I say. “Uh, thanks to everyone who stayed for the stream! Sorry, it got so long. Maybe we can convince Baz to come back again?”  
I see the faintest of smiles form on his lips. Maybe it’s my imagination.  
“No convincing necessary, Snow. I’d be happy to. This… this was fun.”  
He hangs up the call, and Penny comes over to end the stream.

We’re just doing it for fun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon and Baz have yet another "fight" on Twitter.

[Penelope]  
I walk into the living room to see Simon on his laptop, eyebrows pushed together in frustration. “On Twitter with Baz again?”  
“He never gives up!” Simon throws his arms up in frustration, and I snicker.  
“Neither do you.”  
“Exactly! It never ends–”

I walk over and sit next to him. “What are you two fighting over this time?” He looks even more frustrated, and I can’t help but laugh. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already.”  
“It-It’s hard to keep up with our back and forth insults, much less remember why we’re fighting! It’s probably something stupid anyway!!”  
“Your face is getting red.”  
“From anger.”  
“If you’re so angry, then why are you smiling?”  
“Fuck off.”

I roll my eyes at him. Honestly, his crush is just so painfully obvious, no matter how much he tries to hide it.   
I lean over to get a better look at his screen. He’s on Baz’s Twitter, refreshing the page every minute. Each time a new tweet pops up, Simon immediately clicks on reply.  
I roll my eyes. “Really, Simon? You’re calling him an egg?”  
“Shut up, I’m running out of insults.”  
“What you’re saying is that he has the upper hand?”  
“I said shut up.”

I roll my eyes again. Honestly, all they’re doing with this ‘lovers quarrel’ is fuelling the shippers even more, and neither of them even realise it.  
I snicker, getting an idea and pulling my phone out.  
I don’t use Twitter as much as these two- obviously- but I still have one. I use it sometimes.  
I go to the Twitter app and start typing.

@pennyforyourthoughts -   
@wingedmage @fangsandflames Stop flirting and get a room you two. Honestly.

I chuckle when I click post, looking over to Simon for his reaction.  
He gets the notification that I’ve tagged him in something and looks at me confused.  
He clicks on it.  
“PENNY WHAT THE FUCK?!?”

I’m laughing so hard now, there are tears in my eyes.  
“It- oh god- it’s deemed appropriate.”  
“We weren’t flirting!!”  
“Are you sure, Simon? I know for a fact that you wouldn’t mind.”  
“Fuck off.”

I know that’s Simon speak for ‘I have lost the argument’, and I just start laughing even harder.  
My laugh is silent now and I probably look like a maniac, but it’s worth it to see Simon’s bright red face through my squinting eyes.  
When I finally stop laughing, I see that Simon is glaring at me.  
“Come on, Si. You have to admit that it was funny.”

He tries but fails to hide a smile and snickers.  
“Yeah, kind of. Good job, Pen.”  
“Seriously though, you two need to get a room. All this flirting is going to make me go insane.”  
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t retort.  
A few minutes pass, and I smirk at him when I feel my phone vibrate. I reach into my pocket to grab it. I chuckle, looking at the notification.

@fangsandflames -  
@pennyforyourthoughts @wingedmage Man, do I wish.

“Look, Simon. Baz wants to room with you.”  
“Shut up, Penny!”  
“Haha.”  
He groans, standing up and walking off into the kitchen. He’s going to go eat some scones, knowing him. He’s bloody obsessed with scones. His computer password is literally 'sourcherryscone413’. It’s crazy.  
I feel a smirk come across my face as I pull his laptop back towards me.

[Simon]   
When I walk back into the living room, Penny is smiling at me innocently.  
“What did you do?” I ask, and she shakes her head.  
“Why do you think I did something?”  
“You only give me that look when you do something, Pen.”  
She chuckles, standing up. “I did nothing wrong, just posted some random nonsense using your Twitter. No harm done.”  
I quickly race to my laptop, opening it.  
There are three new posts on my Twitter.

@wingedmage -  
EFL: Speaking Inside Monday Only Night. Hungry And Sleepy. Ambitious. (1 of 3)

@wingedmage -  
EFL: Carry Right Under Someone Human. Only Negative. Basically Anything Zombie. (2 of 3)

@wingedmage -  
This has been a special message from Penelope Bunce. (3 of 3)

I turn to her, raising my eyebrow. “Penny, what does this all even mean?”  
She smiles. “I told you, it’s just nonsense. I was bored.”  
“Why couldn’t you just use your account?”  
“Your fans know what to do with it, I suppose.”  
“What?”  
“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Simon. You know I’d never say anything that would hurt you.”  
“You’ll say stuff to tease me.”  
“Only in private.”  
I shrug. She’s won this round, but she won’t win next time.

[Trixie]  
I’ve been looking at Baz and Simon’s respective Twitter pages for the past half hour, laughing at their bickering.  
No one can convince me that it’s not another lovers quarrel.  
I’m sketching yet another Snowbaz fan art. I think I’ll make a comic, using some quotes from this 'fight.’  
What can I say? I’m a huge fangirl, and everyone knows it.  
I refresh Simon’s page, and three new tweets have appeared.

@wingedmage -  
EFL: Speaking Inside Monday Only Night. Hungry And Sleepy. Ambitious. (1 of 3)

@wingedmage -  
EFL: Carry Right Under Someone Human. Only Negative. Basically Anything Zombie. (2 of 3)

@wingedmage -  
This has been a special message from Penelope Bunce. (3 of 3)

For a moment, I’m confused. I open up a chat with my friend, Gareth.

pixiestix: hey hey gareth what’s efl mean  
buckleuptom: Why?  
pixiestix: what’s it meeeeean  
buckleuptom: I don’t know. What’s the context?  
pixiestix: penny hacked simons Twitter and posted something and I swear it’s a secret message  
buckleuptom: Huh.  
buckleuptom: Maybe it means “Every First Letter.” Or something.  
pixiestix: cool thaaaaaaanks

I crack my knuckles. Time to decipher some shit.  
Altogether, it reads: Speaking Inside Monday Only Night. Hungry And Sleepy. Ambitious. Carry Right Under Someone Human. Only Negative. Basically Anything Zombie.  
The first letter of each word is all capitalised.  
Maybe the periods are spaces.  
Let’s see…  
S I M O N. Simon.  
What about Simon?  
H A S. Has.  
What does he have?  
I let out a gasp when I read over the rest.  
A moment later, and I start squealing.

pixiestix: GARETH GARETH GEARTJ AJSHDBDHDJ  
buckleuptom: Calm down. What’s up?  
pixiestix: I FIGURED OUT THE MESSAGE OHHHH MY GOD GARETH I KNEW IT I KNEW IT  
buckleuptom: Trixie, you’re stuck on all caps. Calm down.   
pixiestix: sorry! im just!!!! super happy omg its canon   
pixiestix: well not really canon canon more like half canon   
buckleuptom: What?   
pixiestix: i know this is true because Penny confirmed it!!! Just now!!! aaaaaa Gareth do you know what this means???  
buckleuptom: I don’t even know what you’re talking about.  
pixiestix: gareth!!! check simons twitter right now!!!!!  
buckleuptom: Fine, Christ, if it will make you calm down.

I wait patiently, spinning around in my office chair.  
Keris walks in, her long hair up in a ponytail.  
“Keris!!!!! Babe!!!! You’re not gonna believe this!!!!!”  
She smiles softly, walking over and planting a kiss on my cheek. “What’s got you so excited?”  
“Simon-” I spin back to my computer when I hear a ping, and check my messages.

buckleuptom: Oh. Oh my god. That’s beautiful.  
pixiestix: ikr!!!!  
buckleuptom: Although, you can’t get your hopes up. Penelope could just be messing with you.

I frown at my computer. Gareth always has to be a Debby Downer.  
Keris looks at me curiously, and I ignore Gareth.  
“Simon has a crush on Baz!” I blurt out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agatha takes a walk in the dog park.

[Agatha]  
Because I’m moving to California in a few months, I’ve been throwing parties non-stop. It truly is exhausting. I’m glad that I’m taking a break.  
I might go down to the beach and take a few last pictures, I probably won’t get another chance before I leave.  
God, why do I have to be so busy?

Everyone expects me to throw these parties nearly every weekend, considering it’s something I’ve been doing for years. But things grow old.  
Perhaps I’ll throw parties in Cali. Hopefully, not as often. Maybe then, I’ll actually have enough time to relax.  
I won’t stop taking pictures, though. There will be a lot of places in Cali to photograph, and I’m going to get every bit of it. Maybe I’ll get a dog or something, that’ll be fun.  
Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I open my apartment door and make my way outside.  
I hear a scream coming from a few rooms down the hall, but I choose to ignore it. I already know what’s going on down there, and I don’t want to bother with it.  
I step outside into the cold air, taking a breath.

After walking a few steps, I notice a man who seems familiar somehow. He has his hood up and it’s hard to see his face, but I can see his eyes are dark, almost grey.  
I shrug it off, pulling part of my bangs behind my ear and starting in the direction of the local dog park.  
I don’t actually own a dog- like I said, I might get one in Cali. But I have a few friends who own dogs, and the park is public. I can go there whenever I want, and watching dogs run around and be idiots is somehow relaxing.  
Sometimes I even take pictures. (With permission from the dog owners, of course.)

My friend Minty said that she’d be there today with her German shepherd, Elvis.  
I love Elvis. He knows who I am, and always runs up to me to play fetch. You don’t know how happy Minty is to see us get along.  
I’m going to miss them a lot when I move to Cali, but I’ll make sure to visit every summer.  
I near the dog park and I see them playing. Elvis is in front of Minty with a ball in his mouth.  
“Elvis!” She calls out, pointing to me. “Look who it is!”

I think it’s a misconception that dogs are stupid and that you should baby-talk them, but they play along with it because they love their owners.  
Elvis looks over at me, before he runs over and tackles me to the ground excitedly.  
“Haha, you’ve grown a lot, haven’t you?” I say, holding him in my lap. He starts licking my face in greeting, before running back over to Minty. He comes back with the ball in his mouth and drops it in front of me.  
“He really likes playing with you.”  
“I know,” I smile brightly. “I don’t know what you’ll do with him once I move to Cali.” I throw the ball, and he runs out to catch it.  
“Must you leave so soon?”  
“Minty, I’ve been here for twenty years. It’s time to move on.”  
She shrugs.  
“Hey, I’ll visit every summer.”  
“And we’ll talk on Skype?”  
“Of course.”

That cheers her up, and I let out a small laugh.  
Hours seemingly pass as minutes, and I’m surprised when I notice the sunset.  
Elvis calmed down a while ago and he’s laying down in my lap.  
Minty is sitting on the park bench reading an eBook on her tablet, when she looks over to me. “It’s getting late, Agatha. You should head home.”  
I chuckle a bit, looking down at Elvis. “I’m kind of trapped at the moment.”  
She smiles. "Elvis? Elvis? Come here, boy.”  
Elvis’ ears perk up, and he quickly stands, before running over to Minty.  
“That’s a good boy,” She coos, pulling out a dog treat for him and putting it in his mouth. She’s petting his head, and I already have my camera out.  
She smiles when he jumps up and starts licking her face, and I manage to get quite a few shots. I’ll have to edit them later.

“Agatha, are you taking pictures?”  
“I can’t help it, you two are adorable.”  
“I guess I should be glad I’m your friend, I don’t have to pay you.”  
We both laugh, and I stop when I notice that man again. He’s walking down one of the many paths, looking at each and every dog he sees. I catch a glimpse of a smile on his face.

“Agatha, everything alright?” Minty asks me, worriedly. I shake my head.  
“It’s nothing, just thought I saw someone familiar.”  
She looks behind her to where I was looking. “Him? Honey, I don’t think I’ve seen that man before. He must be new to town.”  
“I think he likes dogs.”  
“What makes you say that?”  
“He’s looking at every dog still here and smiling.”  
“Well, I’m glad he doesn’t like cats. I can’t have a cat lover in my neck of the woods.”  
I roll my eyes. “Cats are pretty cool too, and don’t assume that he doesn’t like them.”  
“Yeah, they’re cool, until they scratch your eyes out and bite the rest of your face off.”  
“Dogs can do that too.”  
“But they don’t.”

I sigh, shaking my head. “I should head back. Doctor Who is on tonight.”  
“You still watch that show?”  
“It’s a classic.”  
“It’s 50 years old.”  
“It’s still running.”  
“What is this, Pokémon?”  
“Shut up, you love Pokémon.”  
“Fine.” She sighs, shaking her head at me this time. There’s a small smile on her face, however. “Go to your time lord.”  
I laugh, standing up and turning away. Elvis tries to run up to me, but he’s stopped by his leash. I turn around, walking towards him and scratching his head. “I’ll be back again soon, okay?”

I wave goodbye to them both, before making my way back to my apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny teases Simon. Agatha talks to the mysterious man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart by cloudyrainyday on Tumblr that inspired the first scene!  
> https://tinyurl.com/ytaufanart  
> (original post got deleted so you get the image link instead)

[Penelope]  
I hear Baz’s voice echoing from the living room, and I roll my eyes. With a smirk forming on my face, I grab a new bottle of lipstick that Agatha bought for me yesterday and put it on. Then, I pull my phone out and open Snapchat.  
I walk into the living room, taking a picture just in time to catch Simon looking up and blushing profusely.

“Gotta love this shade of lipstick,” I say out loud as I type the caption, “It’s called ‘at winged mage busted watching at fangs and flames’ videos.”  
“Penny! You can’t-”  
“Whoops,” I say, clicking the button to add it to My Story.

He groans, pausing the video and putting his head in his hands. “You are literally the worst.”  
I laugh, slightly. “Relax, it’s not like he’s going to see it.”  
“Still,” He tries, “So many shippers know your snap, you’re just fueling them.”  
“Technically, you’re the one fueling them.”  
“I hate it when you’re right.”  
“I’m always right. Guess you constantly have a bad time then, huh? Sorry about that.”

He rolls his eyes, tapping his fingers on his laptop. I know he wants to keep watching the video, and he’s growing impatient.  
My smirk returns.

“Hey, Simon. You all packed for the con next week?”  
“Do I really have to pack anything?”  
“Simon. It’s con.”  
“It’s local.”  
I roll my eyes. “At least pack a few things, Si. I don’t want a repeat of last year.”

He visibly tenses up, remembering last years monstrosity.  
He stands up, closing his laptop and setting it on the table. “Fine, fine. I’ll pack one bag.”  
“Two,” I say.  
“Two bags. That’s it. I don’t like carrying stuff.”  
“Says the boy who bought so much merch last year that we still haven’t figured out where to put half the stuff.”  
He rolls his eyes, walking to his room.

“Oh, and Simon?”  
He turns to look at me, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah?”  
“Baz might be coming.”  
His eyes widen, before he shakes his head at me in disbelief. “No way, he lives on the other side of the continent.” He shakes his head again, as if emphasising his point. “And he hasn’t posted anything about it on Twitter.”  
“Course you would know, you practically stalk him.”  
“Shut up. Why do you think he’s coming?”  
I grin, thinking back to the Snap I received from Baz’s roommate. “Oh, just a feeling. And you never know, Simon. He does come from a rich family, so it’s not doubtful that he would be able to afford plane tickets.”

He shrugs, before walking into his room. I know he’s going to start packing. But of course, he’s Simon Snow. He’ll get distracted, and I’ll have to pack for him.  
I might text Agatha. I’d be nice of her to come with us, considering it’s her last year in the area. And plane tickets from America are expensive, even for her.  
I walk over to the bookshelf we have near the telly. We have a few framed pictures sitting here. I pick one up. It’s a picture of the three of us- Agatha, Simon, and I- from when we went to our first gaming convention. Agatha was Simon’s girlfriend at the time, so she got dragged along with us.

I set the picture down, smiling upon the memory.  
I’ve been to conventions before that- anime and comic ones- but gaming was a whole new concept to me. It was like entering a new school for the first time, or moving to another country.  
It’s been a while since I’ve felt like that when going to a con. Simon and I have been going together for years. But it’s still fun to look back at how new we were, and how it felt like to meet fans for the first time. The look on Simon’s face was priceless when someone ran up to him, asking for a hug. We even got a few gifts, despite not being all that popular at the time. We still have a few of them scattered around the apartment.

Simon insisted that we vlogged our first con experience, so I could possibly find it in the depths of our channel if I really wanted to relive it.  
Instead, I pick up one of the books lying on its side. (I put the books I’m currently reading on their side so that Simon doesn’t take them.)  
Eleanor & Park is a good read so far, and I’m almost done. I have roughly one hundred pages left.  
I walk over to the couch and sit down. When I open it, I make a mental note to text Agatha when I’m done reading, which shouldn’t take too long.

[Agatha]  
I’m out grocery shopping when I see that man again. He’s walking along the sidewalk as I exit the store. He has his hood up, but he passes me as I step out. When I see his face, that feeling of familiarity washes over me again.  
But from where? Should I talk to him? What would I even say?

“Uh … Excuse me, sir?” He looks back at me curiously, and I’m able to look at him more clearly.  
God, he’s attractive.  
“What is it?” He says, sounding annoyed. He has a different dialect than other people here, and I feel my face heat up.  
It takes a few moments for me to think up a response, and he turns to walk away. “Wait! Uh … ,” I take a breath, and smile when he turns back. “Do you like dogs?”  
“What?”  
“Dogs. I saw you at the dog park the other day.” His face turns red slightly, and I giggle. “It’s okay, I love dogs too. My best friend has a German Shepard, and I play with him all the time.” He nods at me, then goes quiet, as if he’s debating on whether or not he should say more. 

An awkward minute passes before he walks towards me.  
“Do you need any help with your bags?” He asks, “I can help carry them to your car, if you want.”  
My bags are kind of heavy, and I have my phone on me in case something goes wrong.  
“Sure,” I say, handing him a few bags. “Thanks!” I smile, and he responds with a nod before I lead him to my car.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Keris goes to class and distracts herself from the cocky kid who can’t take a hint, someone new watches Trixie's art stream.

[ Trixie ]  
I get a text from one of my “Snowbaz Correspondents.” Philippa lives in the same town as Agatha, Penelope, and Simon.  
It’s an attachment, so I have to wait a bit for it to download.  
When I open it, I see Agatha walking with a man. I let out a squeal when I recognise him.   
Keris is sitting at our table reading and looks over at me, so I rush over and show her the picture.  
“Is that…”  
“It is!” I smile brighter at her, and she smiles back.  
“Does this mean the rumours are true, then?”  
“Keris, we have to go. I can’t miss this and you know it.”  
She leans over to kiss my cheek, and I giggle softly. “I already bought them when Agatha posted that she’d be going. I figured that you would want to see her, Penny, and Simon together before she moves.”   
I respond by climbing into her lap and saying “thank you” in between kisses.

[ Keris ]  
We only break because I have classes.  
I go to school at West Herts College. My favourite class is Creative Writing, which I am heading to now. I have Interior Design directly after.  
I walk in a few minutes early, and Professor Salisbury is sitting at her desk, reading Attachments.  
She’s told the class that we’re allowed to call her by her first name, Lucy, but doing that just makes me feel awkward.   
I set my stuff down at my desk, and she looks at me, that bright smile of hers quickly forming on her face.  
“Keris, may I speak with you for a moment?”   
I feel my heart beating faster as I nod, walking over to her. (I always get anxious when professors ask to talk to me. I know I shouldn’t be, especially with her, but I can’t help it.)  
“What is it, Professor?”  
She shakes her head, but knows by now that I won’t call her Lucy.  
She opens a drawer and pulls out a flyer, handing it to me. “Watford Area Arts Forum Literature Competition.” She says.  
“You want me to enter?”  
She nods, slowly. “Only if you want to, of course. This years theme is Magic, and the word limit is 500 words. I feel like you’d do well, so good luck!”  
“Thanks…” I say, shoving the flyer in my back pocket. I quickly head back to my seat, just as Salem walks in.  
Fucking Salem.  
I swear, he’s only taking this class to torture me.  
Thankfully, Professor Salisbury starts the class before he can say anything about the lipstick on my neck.

[ Trixie ]  
I’m chatting with my friends and drawing in my stream, when I notice a new username on the chat list. I blink a few times, and then rub my eyes.   
It’s Penny!  
Wow. Simon Snow’s best friend is in a Snowbaz Art Stream.  
I mean, it’s no secret that she ships them. But I never imagined that she’d come to one of my streams!  
I have to hold back a squeal- my mic is on, and so is my video.  
Okay, Trixie. Play it cool.   
“Is it just me,” I say, “Or is the great Penelope Bunce, Simon Snow’s best friend, watching my stream?”  
I look over at the chat.

pennyforyourthoughts: Oh hey, you caught me.

I smile, softly. But really, I’m screaming on the inside.  
I feel myself getting nervous, and I make a few mistakes on my current drawing.  
I decide to work on it later- it’s a big project thing, anyway. Instead, I pull up a drawing meme and ask for suggestions.

QueenElspethTheFourth: Draw Simon in e3!

I chuckle a bit. “What am I going to do for the baby, then?”

mintygreenwithenvy: lmao make a snowbaz lovechild  
QueenElspethTheFourth: Oh my god, yes. DO IT.

I laugh again, but give in to their demands.  
I draw the quick doodle, giving the baby blue eyes, curly black hair, and freckles. It’s so adorable, I have to save and post it later.  
I save the image, but I can’t figure out what to call it. I type ‘Simon and’, before pressing my brows together in frustration.  
“What should I name her?” I ask, but the chat grows silent. “Come on guys, she needs a name!”

pennyforyourthoughts: I just had the best idea.  
pennyforyourthoughts: What if you name her Natasha Scone Snow-Pitch?

“Oh my god!” I can’t help but giggle. “That’s so cute, oh my god.” I type in the name and save it. “How’d you come up with that?”

pennyforyourthoughts: Natasha was Baz’s mum, yeah? He told me once that he wants to name someone after her.  
mintygreenwithenvy: aw, thats so sweet!!  
pennyforyourthoughts: And giving his kid the middle name 'Scone’ is definitely something Simon would do, lmao.  
QueenElspethTheFourth: Imagine Simon trying to tell everyone that her first name is Cherry.  
pennyforyourthoughts: There’s a 500% chance that he would do that. Yes, good.

“This is so beautiful, I’m gonna cry…” I say, as I dramatically pretend to wipe a tear from my eye.

[ Keris ]  
I might enter that competition, actually. It’d be good practice- I don’t write about magic often. And those tickets did cost a lot of money. I could use the extra cash.   
Although, I’m not very good at word limits. When I start writing something, I write and I write and I write. When I’m done writing, it’s two or three times that length.   
“Daydreaming again, ain’t cha?”  
I sigh, suddenly remembering I’m in class.  
“Can’t blame you, Miss Lucy is ridiculously boring.”  
I turn around to face him, he’s getting on my nerves again. “Then why are you even taking her class?”  
“'Cause I’m a generous guy, and I know you can’t get enough of me.”  
I roll my eyes and turn back to the front. “It’s more like I always get too much of you.”  
“Keep telling yourself that, babe.” I know he’s wearing that stupid grin of his- I can practically hear it form on his face.  
He continues to try and talk to me throughout the class, but I ignore his efforts.  
Instead, I think about Trixie. She’s probably live streaming right now. I think that’s all she does at home. Either that or watching videos on YouTube. I’ve been thinking about starting a channel, actually. But I’m not sure what I would do on it. I’m a quiet person, so I wouldn’t really vlog. I don’t play video games or do makeup. And I can’t sing- Trixie says I sing beautifully, but I don’t really think so.  
The only things I really love are Writing and Trixie, but I don’t know how I can possibly share that on film.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agatha realises why her new friend is so familiar. Meanwhile, Keris attempts to finalise her submission for the Watford Area Arts Forum Literature Competition.

[Agatha]   
I knew I recognised him from somewhere. It should be impossible, but the resemblance is uncanny.   
He’s sitting in my living room right now. I invited him over despite only knowing him for a week because he told me that he came here with two of his friends. Apparently, they’re loud and flirt too much. Whether that’s with him or each other, I didn’t ask. 

Of course, I offered to help him get away from them for a while. I’m too nice, and I’m paying him back for helping me with my groceries.   
But seriously, I had the feeling that he was familiar. Especially when he told me his name was Baz. Even still, I couldn’t place it.   
That is, until now. I have YouTube pulled up on my phone. Lo and behold, there he is right there in my suggestions.  
“Baz Pitch!” I yell out, turning to face him.   
He simply raises an eyebrow, “Something the matter, Wellbelove?”I catch myself blinking stupidly at him before rushing over and shoving my phone in his face.  
“Oh,” he snickers, “Suppose want an autograph or something?”  
I roll my eyes.  
“Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“You never asked,” he shrugs, “Obviously, it’s something I should totally use as an ice-breaker from now on.”   
I pout before sitting down next to him.   
“Why did you come all the way across the country?”  
“Change of scenery. Where I live gets boring after a while.”

I glare at him, and he leans back into the sofa.  
“Is it really such a big deal?”  
“It is when you’re physically in the same town as Simon Snow.”  
He blinks a few times before bursting out into laughter.  
“What?”  
“Relax, Wellbelove. I’m actually not going to hurt him in any way. And, uh, no offence, but I don’t want to actively try and seek him out either. Jesus, what do you want from me?”  
“All right, I trust you.”  
I sigh, easing up a little.  
“Thank you-”  
“But if for one singular moment I begin to doubt that-”  
“I swear upon my mother’s grave that I have no desire to harm or seek out the great Simon Snow.”  
He shows the smallest hint of a smile but frowns when he notices I’m staring.   
He goes back to his writing, and I return to my music. 

After a while, he pulls one of my earbuds out of my ear and speaks again.  
“Why did you two break up, anyway?”  
“Who?”  
“You and Snow.”

[Keris]  
I don’t have much homework this week, so I decide to visit the quad and try to write for the competition that Professor Salisbury told me about. I have already written like ten versions of this, but it’s just so hard to get it under 500 words…  
“Well look who decided to stop by.” I hear a voice above me.   
Goddamnit.  
“Leave me alone, Salem. I’m working.”  
“Working on what?”  
“Homework.”  
“Can I see?”  
“No, I-” He snatches my papers out of my hand and I stand up trying to reach for them. “Give that back!!”  
“Her sparkling eyes? Her delicate laugh? How she smiles?” He chuckles as his eyes skim over my papers. “What is this, a love letter? Wasn’t aware your silly girlfriend was a teacher here. What’s she teach, Snowbazology?”  
“I said, give it back!”

It’s easy to lose my patience around him. I try not to let him bother me, but it really gets to me whenever he attacks Trixie like that.  
“Why don’t you take it? Come on, it’s right here. So easy to take it from my hands. Here, I’ll loosen my grip for you. Or better yet, make it easier to carry.”  
He takes it with both hands and rips the papers apart.   
“You… you don’t just…” It takes everything in me not to cry.  
“I don’t just what?”  
“That’s enough, Salem.” I hear someone behind me with a peculiar accent that somehow bears familiarity. “You went too far this time, apologize to her. Now.”

I turn around to see a man- probably early twenties. He is tall with tan skin and his hair slicked back. I swear I have seen him before.  
“Shit, man.” My attention is brought back to Salem. “Haven’t seen you in years. How’s the family?”  
The stranger gently pushes me to the side a bit and walks over to him, staring directly into his eyes. Even I’m intimidated, and I’m not even the one receiving the glare.  
“Apologise.”

For the first time in the two years I have been here, Salem looks terrified.  
“Sorry.”  
“Not to me.” The man gestures to me, and I get a side eye from Salem before he fully turns back to face me.  
“I… Sorry, Keris. I shouldn’t have done that. Totally uncalled for."   
I blink in shock. Who is this guy, and how did he make Salem, resident dickhead, apologise to me?   
Before I could respond, Salem races off. 

I turn to this man, looking down.   
"Um… thanks…”  
“Christ, he really hasn’t changed. Thought a decade would do him good, guess not.”  
I look back up.  
“How do you know him?”  
“What, you think just because I helped you get rid of that prick, I’m going to tell you my life story?”

“Can I at least get a name?”  
“Baz Pitch.”  
So that’s why he’s familiar. He’s one of the YouTubers that Trixie is obsessed with.   
“Keris.”  
“Where have I heard that name before?”  
“Probably my girlfriend. Runs a popular snowbaz blog, streams a lot.”  
He lets out a laugh, and I look up to see that he’s smiling. A rare sight, to say the least.  
“She’s going to be disappointed that you met me instead of her.”  
“Nah, she’s still going to get excited. Can I get a picture of you?”  
“I’ll do you one better: How about a selfie?”  
“Oh my god, she’ll love that.”  
I’m actually surprised at how nice he was- to me, not to Salem. 

We take a serious selfie and a silly selfie. Always gotta get both when meeting a celebrity, Trixie taught me that.  
“So, what brings you to West Herts? Looking to register? Sorry, we’re full.”  
“Hah, more like dragged here by a photographer claiming to be from a magazine but actually wants pictures for her aesthetic blog.”  
“You know Agatha Wellbelove?”

As if on cue, we hear Agatha on the other side of the quad, calling for Baz.  
“Sorry, that’s my ride. Maybe I’ll see you around?”  
Agatha calls for Baz again.  
“Gotta go.” He waves at me before racing off to meet her. 

I pull out my phone as soon as the coast is clear, but then notice the pile of torn paper on the ground.  
“Oh. Right.” I kneel down to collect the trash and toss it in the recycling bin.   
I was going to rewrite it again anyway, so it’s not a complete loss, right?


End file.
